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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1994)
just out ▼ o cto b «r 2 1 , 1994 ▼ 5 world briefs ALBANIA The Gay Albanian Society, which formed this year in what had been the w orld’s most closed Com m unist society, now has 10 members, fax access and an e-mail address. But, according to the Bulletin of the International Lesbian and Gay A s sociation, all is far from well. "Gay men in Albania have suffered from ex treme isolation, the product of the repression and fear engendered by the Hoxha regim e,” an uniden tified writer reported. “W hile there is one informal meeting place [in the park across from Hotel Dajti], very few men dare to go there. None o f the gay men I spoke to knew o f more than 15 or 20 other gays in A lbania.” The report continued: “When, in March, the president [of the gay group] gave an anonymous interview to a newspaper, he was asked, ‘Are there many hom osexuals in A lbania?’ ‘Very many,’ he replied, ‘maybe even dozens.’ ” for a national law banning discrimination based on sexuality. “This attitude [from the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party] has never been seen before,” said Max Mejia, editor of the Tijuana newspaper Frontera Gay. “We were invited by a PRI candi date. This is change.” Mejia said, “Now, it is up to gay activists to insist on a further response to this meeting. It will depend on us overcoming our small numbers and our divisions.... There is a huge population o f [gay and lesbian] people waiting for us to offer them something realistic and simple to join.” Mejia noted that in recent years lesbians and gay men have been accepted in government posts, within the confines o f an unwritten “d on’t ask, don’t tell” policy. “The PRI [officials] d on’t ever say the words ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian,’ ” he said. “ It’s like in Mexican families— everything is allowed as long as you don’t talk about it.” A H aven B y T he S ea Six spacious oceanfnmt units on a bluff above the beach, with easy beach access. The hot tub in the yard overlooks the surf and miles of sandy beach. Join us for a beautiful and restful stay. Gift certificates available Your hosts, Marilee Haase & Sandy Pfaff Lincoln C ity (5 0 3 ) 9 9 4 -5 0 0 7 CANADA Marion Best, chair of a United Church of Canada committee that in 1988 recom m ended ordaining gay men and lesbians, has been chosen the new leader, or “m oderator,” o f the church, Canada’s largest. The 1988 recommendation created deep divi sions in the church that have not yet healed, ac cording to Gaezette, a gay magazine in Nova Scotia. T ▼ ▼ The Canadian government will spend $800,000 to bring 1,000 HIV-positive people from Canada and under-represented countries to the 11th Inter national Conference on AIDS in Vancouver in 19% , reported Xtra! “ My idea is to bring in the actual people af fected— it’s the way to gain the most insight,” said Health M inister Diane Marleau. ENGLAND According to legend, Britain’s 19th-century anti-hom osexuality laws do not apply to lesbians because no one dared tell Queen Victoria that such “ perverts” existed. PAKISTAN A gay Pakistani man who lives with his U.S. lover, and works at a fast-food restaurant in Kansas City, Mo., was granted asylum in the United States on Aug. 31, because o f Pakistan’s persecution of gay men. The decision, by immigration Judge Gabriel Vidella, was the first ruling o f its kind since U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said in June that, for immigration purposes, lesbians and gay men are a “particular social group” that is persecuted in some countries. If he were deported “I would be a dead man,” the 27-year-old man, using the name “Ali,” told Judge Vidella. Pakistani civil law punishes those who have same-sex relations with two years to life in prison. Islamic law, which can be enforced legally, calls for up to 100 lashes or death by stoning. According to The Washington Blade, in 1990 Ali was in a private home with three straight friends when police broke in, saying they had been told the men were having sex. The four were taken to the police station and beaten. A li’s father report edly told the police when he came to pick him up that if it were true that his son was gay, he would kill him. A few months later, Ali was expelled from the Pakistani Cricket Association for being gay, and, shortly thereafter, he received a letter from the local Lahore Cricket Association dismissing him from the team for being a “ faggot.” That letter was presented as evidence in the U.S. immigration hearing. SOUTH AFRICA The new London chapter of the Lesbian Aveng ers is not amused by this legend, so it staged its first-ever demonstration recently at Victoria’s statue outside o f Buckingham Palace. Said London’s Capital Gay, “A posse of stroppy d y k es...struck a blow for visibility and laid siege to the statue.” ISRAEL The K nesset, Israel’s parliament, has passed on first reading a measure that would extend routine governm ent pensions to domestic partners of gay men and lesbians. The bill, introduced by labor M P Yael Dayan, is supported by both the Justice and Finance M in istries. It must clear two more readings to become law. MEXICO Newly elected M exican President Ernesto Zedillo arranged an unprecedented meeting be tween low-level aides and gay and lesbian leaders in M exico C ity on July 3, during the presidential campaign. About 30 gay and lesbian leaders from some 15 organizations attended. The focus was on lobbying $nn#jv /* w .% \v isr / / A O . v r T / ,/.*.».*An i »‘//.» A South Africa this year became the first nation in the world to write a ban against sexual orientation discrimination into its constitution. But activists say there is a real chance the ban will be deleted in coming years, as the new interim constitution is reworked into a permanent document. T he G ay and L e sb ian O rg a n iz a tio n o f W itwatersrand and the Association of Bisexuals, Gays and Lesbians in Cape Town say defending the clause will be one of their top priorities for the next few years. hairstylist for men and women 1640 NE 16th 287-5737 NATURAL FIBRE CLOTHING OLDTOW N 54 SW 2nd 228-1693 EASTSIDE 4100 NE Fremont 288-3422 Buying or Selling? Let me give you a hand. You deserve representation whether you are selling or buying real estate. Millynn is one of the few top agents in Portland who offers buyers the same level of representation that sellers have traditionally counted on. And, of course, Millynn continues to offer top personalized service to sellers, bringing you top dollar with the least amount of hassle. Call now for a free market evaluation if you need to sell before you buy your next home! With her client-oriented services for non-traditional families in all our diversity, Millynn has become the #1 Eastside agent for Professionals 100 (the #1 company in Oregon). In today’s competitive market, don’t you want to be represented by the best? CALL MILLYNN NOW to schedule a free consultation (with no obligation). Millynn James, c r i Associate Broker Multi-Million Dollar Producer Your Real Estate Professional (503) 287-9632, x.122 Mobile/Voice Mail 720-4642 THAILAND The “gay town” announced earlier this year in Thailand is under construction and already 40- percent sold. The W achira Royal Valley company is build ing the 800-home, 80-acre “Flora Tow n” in the mountains near the town of Khorat, 90 miles north east o f Bangkok. “We are addressing ourselves to homosexual yuppies— clean-cut, good-looking and charming,” said developer Dejdeow Srichai. A brochure for the village shows smiling and lusty young men lying beside a turquoise swim ming pool. 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